Things to do

Blue Lake Springs

Guests at the Dean Way Chalet have privileges to enjoy two private lakes, tennis, basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, ping pong, a swimming pool, snack bar, playground, kids' camps, movie nights, bingo nights and more, right in Blue Lake Springs. You don't have to go far for a great vacation experience.

Skiing and Snow Play

Since 1967 the Bear Valley ski and snowboard area has been the choice for snow sports enthusiasts of all ages. From the beginner runs, easily visible from the lodge, to backside and mile-long trails to the village, Bear Valley Mountain has terrain to suit any level. Beginners to Advanced Bear Valley is the ideal mountain whether it's your first experience to the snow or you're a die hard powder hound. Up there you can also find snowmobiles for rent by the hour, cross country skiing, snowshoeing trails, and a sledding hill.

Big Trees State Park

The Big Trees State Park is known for its two groves of giant sequoia trees at 250 to 300 feet high and 25 to 30 feet across. The trees, at around 2,000 to 3,000 years old, are relics from a warmer and wetter clime and time, the Mesozoic Era, some 180 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Once much more numerous, the big trees survive now only in 75 groves on the western slope of the High Sierra.

The park offers great campgrounds and picnic areas, as well as an opportunity for trout fishing and a dip in the Stanislaus River. Most visitors, however, come to see the big trees, particularly those found in North Grove. A gentle one mile trail meanders through the grove, leading to such grand sequoia specimens as Abraham Lincoln, Siamese Twins, Empire State and Father of the Forest.

Moaning Caverns

Enjoy California's largest show cave on a guided walking tour, or via a thrilling 165-foot rope rappel down into the cave! Above ground, play on 1500-foot twin zip lines and a 32-foot climbing tower, or get lucky as you pan for gold.

Mercer Caverns

Beautiful, unusual crystalline formations; stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, curtains, Angels wings, and more. Nature proves herself an artist and welcomes visitors year round to see her in this magnificent subterranean wonderland.

California Cavern State Park

California's first show cave, delighting visitors since 1850, features an enchanting trail with beautiful crystalline formations in historical and recently discovered pristine areas. Also available-wild cavern expeditions by reservation. Fantastic gift shopping for books, science, nature, mineral and gem supplies and educational toys.

Rafting/Kayaking

Calaveras County is home to world-class California outdoor adventures including Calaveras whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Stanislaus River in the heart of Stanislaus National Forest. Join a guided California river rafting trip with experienced professional guides or independently plan your own private boating trip to Calaveras.

Biking

Bike enthusiasts can enjoy scenic, paved or graveled roads with moderate terrain or challenging single track and 4x4 trails with steep grades. Try the Arnold Rim Trail!

Wineries

Calaveras County offers an ideal climate for vineyards, and the Murphys area is home to more than 20 wineries, most with tasting rooms on Main Street. Many of the wines are award winning at the regional, national, and international level, and have achieved recognition in national publications. Enjoy wine tasting, browsing eclectic shops, antiques and art galleries, and fine dining in Murphys. Main Street also hosts several annual events: Presidents Wine Weekend, Murphys Irish Day, Calaveras Grape Stomp and Street Faire, and the Holiday Open House. Don't miss the wineries off of Highway 4 either -- Chatom, Bryce Station, and more are waiting for you!

Museums

Enjoy the Sierra Nevada Logging Museum in Arnold, the Ironstone Heritage Museum and the Murphys Old Timers Museum in Murphys, the Angels Camp Museum and the Altaville School in Angels Camp, just to name a few.

Golf

Enjoy golf at the beautiful Sequoia Woods Country Club or Forest Meadows nearby, or travel a little farther to the Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp. Disc golf courses are also all over the area -- for a little something different, check out Feeney Park in Murphys, White Pines lake adjacent to Arnold, and Rick's Revenge at Bear Valley. There's even a little disc golf course in Blue Lake Springs, right near the cabin.

About Calaveras County, California

Located in the eastern-central valley of California, encompassing the foothill and mountain terrain of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Calaveras County is a paradise of western gold rush history and scenic beauty. Famous writers such as Mark Twain and Bret Harte lived a short while here and wrote about the events of Calaveras County. Mark Twain's "Jumping Frog" made Calaveras famous and the tradition continues to this day during the Calaveras County Fair & Frog Jump Jubilee (always the 3rd weekend in May). Joaquin Murrieta and Black Bart played havoc along the county's early day settlements and highways. The same cell where Black Bart was held can be seen in San Andreas today.

Small highways run through the towns and climb up the Sierra Foothills to Ebbetts Pass, which at over 8,000 feet elevation, has much to offer the seeker of good things: Quaint historic towns, the biggest trees on earth, swimming holes along the Stanislaus River, a dazzling high country of granite rocks, lakes and pines, and a fine summer festival of music at Bear Valley in August.